Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-01
The LANGFORD COLONY.
A BEAUTIFUL TRACT-THE SOIL
RICH AND DEEP.
A Combination OF Location. Soil
and Climate Unsurpassed upon
the Pacific Coast.

A Combination OF Location, Soil
and Climate Unsurpassed upon
the Pacific Coast.
Colonization upon this coast has proven
quite successful and become quite popular
during the past few years. One of the best
locations in the State is that of the Lang
ford colony, in San Joaquin county. Ref
erence has been made elsewhere in this is
| sue to the necessity of an eqaable climate
for the proper growth of grapevines. A
practical demonstration of this fact is wit
messed in this locality. The temperature
of this district is equable, being semi-trop-
| zeal in character the annual average tenn
| perature is Go degrees highest tempera-
ture, % degrees; lowest temperature d
degrees above zero; average annual rain
fall, % inches. Surely such e showing
proves this the natural home of the vine
| The beauties of this wonderful climate are
evidenced in the midwinter display of
| tropical plants, fruits etc, growing in the
| open air. So mild and genial is it that
| tropiC zone here reaches its greatest perfec-
| ton. This is well illustrated in the-heavy
| crops OF corn and watermelons raised lcith-
| ont irrigation.
THE SOIL Is WONDERFUL.
The Mokelumne valley is Justly consid-
| cred the richest portion of the Pacific coast.
The soil is a fine, light sandy loan of
| great depth and fertility. 1t grows grain of
| all kinds, corn, alfalfa, and all the fruits of
the temperate and semi-tropic zones, in
| Guiding oranges, lemons. olives. ags, wine,
| table and raisin grapes without any irriga-
| ton whatever. This soil is SUCH as proved
| by thirty-siX years of experience, that ex-
cessiye droughaS or rainfalls do. not materi-
! ally affect the crops. The year Of 1885 was
an extremely dry year, and many portions
of this coast had short crops in conse-
quence. This valley, that year, had an
average wheat yield of % bushels to the
acre. The year of 1856 had an excessive
rainfall, so much so that in sections Of low
| land the grain yield was below the average.
| The Mokelumne valley had an average
wheat yield of IS bushels. 1t is the surest
crop region in the State. In the colony
lands the famed Flame Tokay, the Tin
! fandel, the Purple Damascus and the
| White Muscat of Alexandria have been
produced in great quantities and of fine
quality. Apples, peaches, pears apricots,
prunes, olives and nut-bearing trees all
| flourish on this inexhaustibly fertile soil
Vegetables of all kinds grow the year round.
The Lodi Sentinel prints the following in
teresting item, which shows that large
portion of the lands of San Joaquin county
can be made to produce wonderfully profit
able crops other than cereals e. Law
renee, Of this place has a small vineyard
of two and one-half acres, comprising Mis-
sion, Black Prince and Muscat varieties.
This vineyard has in average years yielded
a clear net profit of 800 per acre. That
two and one-half acres are worth s., 500.
They pay good interest on that amount.
Farmers, draw your own moral
| TRANSPORTATION AND MARKETS.
San Joaquin county enjoys the inestima-
bic advantages of facilities of transportation
and communication, of quick and easy ac-
cess from all points within itself to all
centers of trade and commerce. This fact
applies more particularly to the Langford
Colony than any other point in the county,
skirted on one side by the Central Pacific
Railroad Company, and on another by the
San Joaquin and Sierra Nevada Railroad
the latter connecting at Brack's Landing
deep water on the San Joaquin river with
| line of steamers to San Francisco and the
former being the great transconJinental
line. The river steamers carry the farmer s
produce to the San Francisco markets at
very low prices-the competition between
the rival lines being quite severe-thus af-
fording the colonist the great city of San
Francisco as a continual market, with the
city of Stockton as a nearer market if de-
sired. Eggs, poultry, vegetables fruit etc,
find ready sale at good prices in either
market. The ready market, always open,
taken with the unusual shipping facilities
of Langford Colony, mark this spot as the
favored place for the orchardist, vineyard
list or poultryman to prosper in.
ANOTHER GREAT ADVANTAGE.
The advantages which the California far
mer enjoys over his Eastern brother are
numerous and significant. Here there are
no long, severe winters to contend with.
For five or six months every year the whole
earth in the East is locked in the embrace
of snow and ice. The thermometer regis
tiers temperature that is continually
crowding zero. Active, productive indus
try in the field is brought to a stand still.
The farm stock is housed, to consume the
stores of the granary and the farmer, in
comparative idleness, waits for the SPRING
tide and warmer sun. to unlock the forces
of nature. During this long and profitless
period, California wears a different coun-
tenance. The first rains have come, sweet
ening the air, laying the dust and nourish-
ing the young grasses into the sunlight.
The sleek herds are reveling in the verdant
and open pastures, and the farmer, in his
shirt-sleeyes, is urging the pillow Or sowing
his seed. His work goes on through the
winter with scarcely an interruption, and
if he is industrious he will not lose, in the
aggregate, more than two or three weeks
time in the year, on account of inclement
weather.
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.
Any man OF family who contemplates
locating in a new country, or in a colony
first studies the educational facilities offered
by the particular location he has in view.
for the benefit of his children. This colony
has unusual advantages of this character
in fact, equal TO sthose found in any large
cities. The occupants of this favored tract
are to be congratulated upon this fact, for
if there is one essential feature of any COM
! munity or locality it is the opportunities
afforded the people for a good education of
| their children in the common schools. We
cite the following instances of schools sur
rounding this favored spot: Two public
schools are maintained within one mile /;
and two churches are as closely located. At
| Woodbridge, a furnishing town four and
one-haf miles distant, is the San Joaquin
| Valley College, one OF the leading educa-
1
neighboring towns of Acampo, Lockeford
| Lodi and Woodbridge are graded and
grammar schools. with excellent corps of
teachers. At Stockton, the county seat, a
| distance of nine miles by rail, can be found
schools and colleges OF arts, science and
| literature.
WATER.
The Mokelumne river skirts along the
| eastern and southern boundary of the
| colony, and offers every facility for water.
The water taken from the sob strata is pure,
clear, sparkling and delicious and can be
obtained in almost any quantity at a COM
paratiyely low cost.
A great reservoir of water extends under
the loan lands, and is an never-failing sup
ply Of water to this district. Whether the
year is unusually dry OF unusually wet, no
difference is discovered in the underground
water level. Its source is in perennial and
eternal fountains.
TIMBER.
(trpat oekS grow IN an unusual1v fa-oa